BigJim
Aquarium Advice Addict
Cranking up the heater is one way to speed up your fishless cycle.
First time setup - Lets try not to kill these fishes!
- Thread starter The Editor
- Start date
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OP
OP
The Editor
Aquarium Advice Activist
That would make sense... Microbes operate better at temperatures approaching their optimum....
However starting the cycle in a cold tank then introducing a heater will still complete quicker than holding off for a heater then starting.. The bacteria can still be "getting on with something in the mean time" if you catch my drift...
Didn't get around to setting up today in the end... Got distracted with food/films/wine....
However starting the cycle in a cold tank then introducing a heater will still complete quicker than holding off for a heater then starting.. The bacteria can still be "getting on with something in the mean time" if you catch my drift...
Didn't get around to setting up today in the end... Got distracted with food/films/wine....
The Editor said:
My tank should be delivered sometime tomorrow, but I can't make my mind up as to the decor ... I know what I want as stock - tiger barbs to start with, and as it's a 40g I'm planning on getting around 10 and maybe a bristlenose too but unsure about that as I have read they add quite a lot to the total waste. How about you, have you come to a final decision on your stock??
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BigJim
Aquarium Advice Addict
I tend towards more natural things in my tanks: White, tan, brown, or black sand, live plants, rocks and driftwood. Brightly colored gravel and plants can hide the beauty of your fish.
A bristlenose pleco would be fine in a 40g. You could actually add a few.
I stock my tanks with the fish I like the looks of after I make sure there's a pretty good chance they'll be compatible with the rest of the fish in the tank. A lack of resistance to buying fish results in Multiple Tank Syndrome, a common problem here at AA.
A bristlenose pleco would be fine in a 40g. You could actually add a few.
I stock my tanks with the fish I like the looks of after I make sure there's a pretty good chance they'll be compatible with the rest of the fish in the tank. A lack of resistance to buying fish results in Multiple Tank Syndrome, a common problem here at AA.
BigJim said:
LOL having checked lots of aquarium pics I can see that is true
BigJim said:
Agreed, as my tank is quite tall (Lido 120) I'm planning on some bogwood that is virtical and wider at the bottom and taller plants, and maybe some smaller rocks up at the front.
BigJim said:
Regarding bristlenose's: is it true they are messy? And I've also heard they can be territorial with other bristlenoses?
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BigJim
Aquarium Advice Addict
All plecos put out a hefty bioload for a fish of their length, but I've seen breeding populations of bristlenose plecos housed in a 40B.
What filter are you running?
What filter are you running?
Hi Jim,
So as not to steal The Editor's thread any more than I already have I have copied the comments regarding my setup to a new thread http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...g-and-setup-questions-139396.html#post1205454 please feel free to add comments there for my setup and BN Plecs...
Hi The Editor,
Have you settled on your choice of stock yet? how is the cycling going?
OP
OP
The Editor
Aquarium Advice Activist
Well I filled it all up yesterday, took a base ammonia level then worked out how much pure ammonia solution to add to get the fishless cycle going.
Then realised I had no way of measuring fractions of a millilitre, so decided about a teaspoon would suffice, slipped and sloshed a tonne in.... I left it an hour, did another amonia test with the API Freswater Master kit everyone recomends... and the test went black...
It was late byt his point so i slept on it, and did about a 80-90% water change today. Left it for about an hour and have just measured a level of 4ppm. So the cycle is going great!
Quick question for the experienced: How long approx should I leave it until I start testing for Nirtrites?
As far as stocking is concerned, I think I'm pretty much settled on a handful of male guppies (3-4?) and perhaps an apple snail hanging around at the bottom...
Is this enough/too many for my tank size? Could I get a few more in?
Then realised I had no way of measuring fractions of a millilitre, so decided about a teaspoon would suffice, slipped and sloshed a tonne in.... I left it an hour, did another amonia test with the API Freswater Master kit everyone recomends... and the test went black...
It was late byt his point so i slept on it, and did about a 80-90% water change today. Left it for about an hour and have just measured a level of 4ppm. So the cycle is going great!
Quick question for the experienced: How long approx should I leave it until I start testing for Nirtrites?
As far as stocking is concerned, I think I'm pretty much settled on a handful of male guppies (3-4?) and perhaps an apple snail hanging around at the bottom...
Is this enough/too many for my tank size? Could I get a few more in?
jsoong
Aquarium Advice Addict
Good that you get the fishless cycle going. You will need to redose the ammonia as the bacteria is formed & the ammonia get used up, so here is a method for dosing fractions of a ml using dilution:
First you dilute the original ammonia by 10 (or any other number, but 10 or 100 is most convenient.)
So, you take 1 ml of your ammonia & add 9 ml of water.
Now, to dose 0.1 ml of the "original" ammonia, just dose 1 ml of your diluted solution.
Now that your cycle is started, it is imperative that you don't overdose in your subsequent doses ... as high ammonia (over 8 ppm) will kill off the bio-filter & you will have to start from scratch again.
First you dilute the original ammonia by 10 (or any other number, but 10 or 100 is most convenient.)
So, you take 1 ml of your ammonia & add 9 ml of water.
Now, to dose 0.1 ml of the "original" ammonia, just dose 1 ml of your diluted solution.
Now that your cycle is started, it is imperative that you don't overdose in your subsequent doses ... as high ammonia (over 8 ppm) will kill off the bio-filter & you will have to start from scratch again.
jsoong
Aquarium Advice Addict
Oh, as to when to test for nitrites, wait till your ammonia start to drop, then start to test for nitrites a day or 2 after. <Dropping ammonia also signals the need to add more.>
It all depends on your water temp. In a cold water tank, it took me ~ 3-4 weeks to start seeing nitrites. You can speed this up if you raise the temp to 80 .... If you can seed the tank (with material from another aquarium) you can do the entire cycle in as little as a few days.
It all depends on your water temp. In a cold water tank, it took me ~ 3-4 weeks to start seeing nitrites. You can speed this up if you raise the temp to 80 .... If you can seed the tank (with material from another aquarium) you can do the entire cycle in as little as a few days.
OP
OP
The Editor
Aquarium Advice Activist
Running cold atm as I don't have a heater, but as soon as I acquire one I'll drop it in to speed things up...
I'll test ammonia daily then and test for Nitrites when I see an appreciable ammonia drop...
The trouble is I don't have another aquarium to seed from, nor know anyone with one I could borrow some material from...
What's to be said for the live culture additives that can be bought?
I'll test ammonia daily then and test for Nitrites when I see an appreciable ammonia drop...
The trouble is I don't have another aquarium to seed from, nor know anyone with one I could borrow some material from...
What's to be said for the live culture additives that can be bought?
jessibell
Aquarium Advice Activist
keep in mind that apple snails get flippin humungus and snails in general poop so much you wonder it seems like they would have to be bigger on the inside to hold it all. If you do add a snail you might be better off with a small one like a nerite or something.
hehehe... "oops"
Someone said on this thread that they can get a master test kit for about 20 bucks US... our pet store doesn't have the master kits, they only sell each API test separately and they charge 20-30 bucks for EACH ONE. If I'm correct, the pet store where I used to work carried master test kits for about $120.00 though I don't know if they were the API ones. I like the API tests best but i can only get the Ammonia and Nitrite tests in API, all the rest are Hagen ones.
hehehe... "oops"
Someone said on this thread that they can get a master test kit for about 20 bucks US... our pet store doesn't have the master kits, they only sell each API test separately and they charge 20-30 bucks for EACH ONE. If I'm correct, the pet store where I used to work carried master test kits for about $120.00 though I don't know if they were the API ones. I like the API tests best but i can only get the Ammonia and Nitrite tests in API, all the rest are Hagen ones.
OP
OP
The Editor
Aquarium Advice Activist
Well I have a 50W Hydor heater on route to me so hopefully that'll speed things along! Any tips for heater placement? IE opposite back corner to filter? Near filter so in constantly moving water?
Nerite you say? I'll look into them! I just want some funky crustacean hanging out at the bottom of the tank..
Yea.... "oops" is one way of putting it
At least there was nothing in there to kill!
The API kit I found was in a little aquatics center, on reflection was rather more expensive than I had intended at £32 (~$50), but I guess quality is worth paying for...
Ah well, I'm away for a few days so I can leave the tank bubbling away safe in the knowledge something might be happening
Nerite you say? I'll look into them! I just want some funky crustacean hanging out at the bottom of the tank..
Yea.... "oops" is one way of putting it
At least there was nothing in there to kill!
The API kit I found was in a little aquatics center, on reflection was rather more expensive than I had intended at £32 (~$50), but I guess quality is worth paying for...
Ah well, I'm away for a few days so I can leave the tank bubbling away safe in the knowledge something might be happening
jsoong
Aquarium Advice Addict
That is quite the profit margin! MOPS (mail order out of Toronto) has the API FW for $27 & SW for $35. Individual tests from $5 to $10. These prices are in line with our local PetSmarts & Big Als.
jsoong
Aquarium Advice Addict
Nerites are great choices for a small aquarium. The champ in algae cleaning & won't foul up a tank like the apples. <Apples need 10 gal +, esp. if you ahve other fish.>
Check out the zebra nerites - a beautiful small snail:
Zebra Nerite Snail .:. Neritina natalensis sp. "Zebra" .:. Freshwater Aquarium Snail Information Page
Check out the zebra nerites - a beautiful small snail:
Zebra Nerite Snail .:. Neritina natalensis sp. "Zebra" .:. Freshwater Aquarium Snail Information Page
OP
OP
The Editor
Aquarium Advice Activist
Hello again everyone!
Fisless cycle is ongoing... Checked the ammonia again today still holding around 4ppm.... Boorrring!
However I picked up my heater and some other bits and bobs, so hopefully the increased temp will help things along.
However I have some questions. This is a top down view of the planned aquascape.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
The blue box is an airstone/bubbling diver
Red circle is the heater
Green box is the internal filter, intakes and outlets shown with arrows
Yellow blob is an area of plastic planting
Brown blob is an arrangement of bogwood (currently being soaked and boiled
and the purple circle bottom right is the thermometer
First question, can anyone see a problem with having the heater backed into that little corner?
I figured that there will be a fairly good water flow as the filter is drawing water away from it there.
Also, I read somewhere that the thermo should be on the opposite side to the heater, however I reckon this will be alright as there's plenty of turbulence in the area...
And any other general comments about the layout.....
I have a bunch of shells and pebbles that I picked up from the beach this weekend too so I'll give them a good scrub and soak in fresh water and see if I fancy any of them in the tank too..
Fisless cycle is ongoing... Checked the ammonia again today still holding around 4ppm.... Boorrring!
However I picked up my heater and some other bits and bobs, so hopefully the increased temp will help things along.
However I have some questions. This is a top down view of the planned aquascape.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
The blue box is an airstone/bubbling diver
Red circle is the heater
Green box is the internal filter, intakes and outlets shown with arrows
Yellow blob is an area of plastic planting
Brown blob is an arrangement of bogwood (currently being soaked and boiled
and the purple circle bottom right is the thermometer
First question, can anyone see a problem with having the heater backed into that little corner?
I figured that there will be a fairly good water flow as the filter is drawing water away from it there.
Also, I read somewhere that the thermo should be on the opposite side to the heater, however I reckon this will be alright as there's plenty of turbulence in the area...
And any other general comments about the layout.....
I have a bunch of shells and pebbles that I picked up from the beach this weekend too so I'll give them a good scrub and soak in fresh water and see if I fancy any of them in the tank too..
BigJim
Aquarium Advice Addict
Looks good to me. Lots of water flow by the heater is good.
OP
OP
The Editor
Aquarium Advice Activist
So it turns out my wood hadn't been soaked long enough
Overnight I've made tree soup. Gonna do a full water change again and remove the wood so it can live in a bucket for a few weeks.
I read that boiling the wood for longer will help speed things along? Also using rock salt in the water? Any suggestions??
This will be my third attempt at a fishless cycle, if I balls up this time I'm gonna start seriously looking at the cycle promoting additives (Tetra Safestart etc...)
Overnight I've made tree soup. Gonna do a full water change again and remove the wood so it can live in a bucket for a few weeks.
I read that boiling the wood for longer will help speed things along? Also using rock salt in the water? Any suggestions??
This will be my third attempt at a fishless cycle, if I balls up this time I'm gonna start seriously looking at the cycle promoting additives (Tetra Safestart etc...)
